Classic Manhattan

There are few things I find more satisfying during these cold months than sipping a Manhattan. It's my go-to winter drink, which means we always have a bottle of Blanton's and sweet vermouth on hand. Traditionally, rye whiskey is used, but I prefer the sweetness of bourbon over the spicy notes in rye (with that said, I was recently introduced to Basil Hayden's Dark Rye, which is blended with port, and I've become a big fan).  If you've never made a Manhattan before, it's a good drink to learn (and it's easy to remember): 2 parts whiskey to 1 part sweet vermouth (often this is 2 oz and 1 oz, but if you're having a rough day, a larger pour may be necessary), a few dashes of Angostura bitters, all of which is stirred in a glass with ice and strained into a coupe. While the spirits are the most important ingredients here, we can't forget about the garnish. Now, it may be easier and cheaper to get your hands on some of those bright red maraschino cherries you used to have in your Shirley Temples when you were a kid, but please... please... invest in the good stuff (Luxardo are available at most liquor stores or online). Yes, it's $20 for a container, but when you're only having one per drink, a jar goes a long way. Believe me, it's worth the extra money.  

CLASSIC MANHATTAN
Yield: 1 drink
Tools: Mixing glass, cocktail strainer
Glassware: 3.5 oz coupe

Ingredients:
2 oz Rye whiskey or Bourbon
1 oz sweet vermouth
2-3 dashes Angostura bitters
Maraschino cherry, garnish (Luxardo is recommended)

Directions:
Add 3-4 ice cubes to mixing glass. Add whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters and stir for 20 seconds. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with cherry. 

Cilantro Jalapeno Margarita

I’m going to be up front and admit to you all that this was pulled out of my drafts folder. It’s been sitting in there for over a year, just waiting to be shared with the world. While I’ve been trying to monitor my alcohol consumption during this time (at least on weeknights), when the weather is warm enough and the sun is shining bright, Eric and I will pour a cocktail and sit outside and chat… or just listen at all the sounds of the world.

A perfect margarita, for me, is one that hasn’t been messed with. But, I do adore anything with a little kick and this I had my first cilantro drink the other week, and I realized it'd be the perfect addition to a spicy margarita. Now, I know a "perfect margarita" is just tequila, lime and Cointreau, but this is my idea of the perfect margarita: herbal, spicy, savory, tangy and just a little sweet.

Cilantro Jalapeno Margarita

SERVINGS
1 drink (but can easily be multiplied)

GLASSWARE
Rocks glass

INGREDIENTS
2 oz tequila
1 oz lime juice
1/2 oz Cointreau
1 slice jalapeno (with or without seeds, depending on how spicy you'd like it)
5 cilantro leaves

Lime wedge (a used one will do just fine, it just needs some juice in it)
Salt (I used Tajin Clasico with Lime, but Kosher salt works fine)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Pour salt onto a plate. Rub the rim of the glass with the lime wedge and then dip the rim into the salt, spin slowly until rim is lightly coated in salt.

2. Pour tequila, lime juice, Cointreau into a mixing glass, along with the jalapeno and cilantro.

3. Using a muddler, mash the jalapeno and cilantro until it's thoroughly broken up. 

4. Fill rimmed glass with ice and strain drink into the glass.

Raspberry Vermouth Cobbler

We have a lot going on right now, and many of these things are tough to wrap our heads around. One is the Cape house. I haven't mentioned it here, but in October, we bought the house next to Eric's family's property. It was a joint purchase with his brother and his wife, and their mom. Yes, it's exciting, but there is much that needs to be done and it's hard to accomplish anything from such a distance. With that said, we're in the beginning stages of some work... making lists, getting quotes, and lots of time browsing through websites figuring out how to best proceed with these projects. I have been given the task of getting things in order with the kitchen, which makes sense since I spend as much time cooking down there as I do in the lake or reading in the hammock. 

When we left the house at the beginning of November, we had done as much as we could. Rooms were cleaned and we even got a bit of painting done (ok, it was a giant amount of painting... 21 kitchen cabinets and a large living room, to be exact). I think we were all a bit burnt out by the end of that. I had little desire to think about any of it, but seeing that we're already in February, I think the time has come to stop procrastinating.  Before we know it, April will be here and we'll be on our way to open the house(s).  

Last week, I needed my spirits lifted and there are few things that do that better than a vibrant boozy beverage garnished with a ridiculous amount of fresh mint. A cobbler came to mind and I worked a little spin in there by muddling raspberries, which provided some nice color and sweetness (most cobbler recipes call for some sugar, but I didn't think that was necessary here). 

RASPBERRY VERMOUTH COBBLER

SERVINGS
1 drink

INGREDIENTS
1/4 ounce lime juice
1/4 ounce fresh orange juice
3 raspberries, plus more for garnish
3 ounces sweet vermouth
Soda water
Ice
Fresh mint

DIRECTIONS
1. In the base of a cocktail shaker, muddle together raspberries, lime juice, orange juice and vermouth. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain mixture into a highball glass filled with ice cubes.

2. Top drink with soda water and garnish with fresh mint. Serve with a straw. 

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